2016 BASS Elite Potomac River Day 3: Justin Lucas Continues Lead!

Magic docks cools off big time!
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASE

The heat is rising and his magical dock seems to be cooling off a little.

But despite catching only 12 pounds, 15 ounces during Saturday’s semifinal round, Alabama pro Justin Lucas is in position for a wire-to-wire win at the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge.

Drop Shot key all week for Lucas (Photo BASS)

Lucas’ Saturday catch — easily his smallest of the week — pushed his three-day total to 53-1. He will enter Championship Sunday with a lead of almost 6 pounds over Indiana pro Bill Lowen (47-3).

Both anglers were covered with sweat backstage after Saturday’s weigh-in, with the heat index rising above 112 degrees.

“I had 10 pounds for a long time today,” Lucas said. “I don’t know why things slowed down the way they did. But I’m very fortunate to be where I am with this kind of lead.

“This all started from Day 1 of the tournament. I had no idea what lived under that dock — never even had a bite there in practice.”

A California native, Lucas has been using the kind of finesse tactics that West Coast anglers are known for. He’s caught a couple of fish on a stickbait and a couple on a swim jig, but the majority have been caught on spinning tackle with a drop shot rig.

2016 BASS Elite Potomac River Day 2: Justin Lucas Leads by 6 Pounds with a Total of 40-2lbs.

Lucas only fishes 2 hours today.
By Bryan Brasher

BASS PRESS RELEASEThroughout his young professional fishing career, Alabama angler Justin Lucas says he’s never found a spot quite like the one he’s fished the first two days of the Bassmaster Elite at Potomac River presented by Econo Lodge.
The stats back up his claims.

One pass is all it took this morning. (Photo: BASS)

Lucas caught the biggest limit of the tournament for the second day in a row Friday, landing five bass that weighed 19 pounds, 14 ounces. That catch pushed his two-day mark to 40-2 and gave him a comfortable lead of nearly 6 pounds over second-place angler Brent Ehrler (34-4) as the event heads into the semifinal round Saturday.

2016 Northern FLW Costa Series Potomac River Day 1: Chapman Leads with 17-15!

Johnston Brothers 3rd &4th!

FLW PRESS RELEASE

Chapman leads with tight race.
(Photo: FLW)

Some see delays as irritations. Others see them as opportunities. Choosing the latter, Bill Chapman made the most of a scheduling hiccup in practice and discovered an eye-opening detail that put him atop the day-one standings of the Costa FLW Series Northern Division opener presented by Plano on the Potomac River with 17 pounds, 15 ounces.

“When I came over here to practice last Friday, I had to wait on my buddy who was a couple of hours behind me,” says Chapman, who is 1 ounce ahead of second-place pro Jeff Coble of North Carolina. “I got out on the water, and in about an hour I figured out what they were doing. I’ve been spanking them ever since.”

Although he opted to keep most details of his pattern under wraps for now, the Salt Rock, W.Va., pro noted that a particular combination of tide and location was the key to his success.

“If you don’t have the right tide, they’re not there,” Chapman adds. “When you get on the right spots, you can just about call your shots. In practice, we probably caught 50 good fish, but today I only caught 30. But still, it was a fun day.”

Learn to Fish in a Crowd Part1

Roland and Scott Martin work a massive grass bed on
the Potomac River.
(Photos: Rob Newell & FLW)

Fishing in crowd is challenging. Angling community holes and surviving is an accomplishment . Many factors influence fishing in crowds. Dealing with crowds needs a two-prong approach. Even before the first cast is made, they are beaten. The flip side is relief. If others consider the same area worthy to fish, you might be on to something.

This multi-part article will article will focus on how to succeed in a crowd.  

Avoidance

Psychologically, it can be painful to watch fish being caught while you sit ideal. Frustration equals anxiety, which in turn translates into a poor performance.  For many, its best to ignore the crowds, even if community holes are teaming with bass.

Even the most seasoned angler feels deflated as they turn into their magic spot only to discover a mob. Confidence it a huge factor. Ideally, everyone needs some peace and quiet but weekend warriors and elite anglers fish the conditions they get. Avoidance is a strategy children are taught to distance themselves from rude people and it works for fishing.

Alton Jones, Tommy Biffle, Roland Martin and many others have made careers finding fishing grounds too far or too difficult for others to consider. Alton Jones once jammed his boat under a low culvert to win a BASS Top 100. In 1985, Roland  drove 60 miles down the Hudson River to hit the tide at peak feeding times.  Biffle, almost won a Classic by bucking the seasonal trend of cranking ledges to hunt for bass way, way up creeks in August. For them it is easier to fish for unpressured bass, even if there are not a lot of them. Some say it’s not smart but who can argue with their stellar careers.

Never easy.
(Photo: Izumi Outdoors

Canadian tournament ace, Bob Izumi, loves to out run the competition. For decades he would vault into the wildest of seas of the Great Lakes to out distance himself from the competition. Finding distant schools has made him one of the most talented  pros in history.  His 2011 FLW Northern EverStart win on Lake Ontario illustrated classic avoidance tactics.

FLW Tour Potomac River